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Built Environment Research Study Overview The Built Environment Research Study was designed to test the effectiveness of universal design as a strategy for improving activity performance in the built environment. Environmental barriers often create problems for the people who use them, compromising activity performance. We have all experienced these barriers while pushing through doors with our hands full, pulling a stroller up a series of stairs, or attempting to maneuver a wheelchair through a doorway that’s just a bit too small. Barriers come in all shapes and sizes but however they come, people still find them problematic. To test universal design as a strategy for removing barriers and improving activity performance, the Built Environment Research Study employed two rounds of online surveys. The first round was intended to identify the most problematic activities in public buildings, on public streets and in residential environments. The second round of surveys paired activities with environmental designs, questioning the influence of design on activity performance. Participants' survey responses were analyzed using an indexing system called the Problematic Activities Index. Each activity in both rounds of surveys was evaluated by participants with conditions affecting their arms/hands, legs/feet, back/neck, hearing, sight and cognition. A group of participants with no conditions was also sampled. The results of the Problematic Activities Surveys help identify which activities are the most problematic in each environment, as well as which conditions find particular activities the most problematic. The Design Effectiveness Surveys, or second round surveys, generated evidence of universal designs' effectiveness in alleviating problematic activities and non-universal designs’ negative effects on activity performance. This site provides access to the surveys, the results of the surveys and the indexing system used to analyze participants' survey responses. Problematic Activities SurveysAfter clicking PROBLEMATIC ACTIVITIES SURVEYS below, you will be given additional information about the Problematic Activites Surveys, including links to the original online surveys as well as the surveys' results. This initial round of surveys identified the most problematic activities commonly performed in public buildings, on public streets and in residential environments. PROBLEMATIC ACTIVITIES SURVEYS Design Effectiveness Surveys After clicking DESIGN EFFECTIVENESS SURVEYS below, you will be given additional information about the Design Effectiveness Surveys, including links to the original online surveys as well as the surveys' results. This follow-up round of surveys paired environmental designs with activities so designs' influences on activity performance could be evaluated. The Problematic Activities Index (PAI) After clicking PROBLEMATIC ACTIVITIES INDEX below, you will be given additional information about the Problematic Activities Index, including information about how the index is calculated as well as a downloadable Microsoft Excel demonstration template. Contact Us Mailing Address: Built Environment Research Study Telephone: +1 (716) 829-5907 |